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DAVAO FOOD: Kadayawan Festival Food Guide! @SedaAbreeza

August 5, 2018

Heading to Davao this Kadayawan Festival?

No trip around the country is ever complete without sampling these local delicacies!

1. DURIAN

Durian is known as Davao’s signature fruit!

Davao’s rich fertile soil and typhoon-free areas make it suitable for growing tasty Durian. Durian is available all year round but is usually in season starting August to October. We bought ours in July for P180/kilo, but during peak season it can go as low as P50/kilo!

We visited the Magsaysay Fruit Market, where we learned that there were 16 varieties of Durian in the Philippines.

But we only tried two of the popular varieties the Arancillo famed for being the best variety because of its delectable sweet taste and silky texture, and the Puyat which is more fatty, giving it a creamy luscious taste.

Since you can’t bring Durian back to the hotel- do what the locals do! Grab a chair & table and eat in front of a durian stall. It’s better to eat durian in front of your family and friends, so you can see their reaction if they don’t like it.

As a proud durian lover, I know it may smell like hell for most, but it tastes like heaven for me!

As the “Fruit Basket of the Philippines,” Davao is one of the producers for the sweetest fruits in the country. Besides durian, you must also try pomelo, mangosteen, lansones, and rambutan.

2. TUNA

Due to its proximity to General Santos City – the Tuna Capital of the Philippines, Davao has a hefty supply of fresh tuna that can be prepared in endless ways.

Fun Fact: Did you know Marina Tuna is not only a restaurant but a leading exporter of Tuna?

Besides Marina Tuna, we also liked Yellow Fin.

3. MALAGOS CHOCOLATES & CHEESES

Davao is synonymous in the Philippines for seafood and durian. But internationally award-winning gourmet cheese and chocolate? Yup, they got those too!

For the chocoholics, you’ll love the award-winning, single origin Malagos Chocolate that’s produced in the bountiful foothills of Mt. Talomo, Davao. It’s 100% pure all natural fine flavor chocolate that is truly tree-to-bar.

But what makes their chocolate special? The beans are from the Trinitario hybrid, a cross between Criollo and Forastero varieties that are considered to be the finest cocoa beans in the world.

The bean-to-bar creations are sourced from one particular region giving them a more isolated and distinctive taste.

The chocolate is mildly sweet with a good snap and finishes with a liquor after-taste resembling a deep fruitiness of red wine.

Similar to the French Chèvre, Malagos’ version of the cheese includes different flavors including pesto, pineapples and even mangoes!

My favorite is the Pineapple sublime, a mixture of blended milk from goat and cow with bits of tropical pineapples. I love the tangy, sweet, and creamy goodness!

4. Seda Abreeza Davao (Special Menu)

One of the best meals I had on the trip was in Seda Abreeza Hotel. I loved how they pulled off Davao’s best flavors and incorporated it into their menu for this branch.

Davao Pomelo & Prawn Salad (Seda Kadayawan Buffet)
Pomelo is a popular pasalubong item from Davao, you’ll find boxes of them on the luggage carousel on your flight back at the airport.

Pomelo makes a wonderful salad and especially goes well with Thai flavoring. I love how the Pomelo pulls apart easily and the pulp has a crunchy and popping texture.

Malagos Dark Chocolate Cheesecake (P300 ala carte)
The dessert may be rich but the sweetness level is perfect!

Other dishes like the Pomelo and Prawn Salad, Beef Pochero with Saging na Saba and Banoffee Tart will be part of the dinner buffet spread this August 16-18, at 880 nett per person. Also, they will be part of the new menu cycle in the near future.

5. BANANA (TADECO)

Many of us Filipinos are more accustomed to the taste of lakatan or saba. But in actuality, the Philippines is the top three producer of the Cavendish banana.

Cavendish bananas are the most widely grown and traded banana in the world. It is the cleanest looking banana, distinct for its blander and mushier texture than its local counterparts.

TADECO Farm is the third biggest exporter of banana in the world, the state of the art facility covers 6,640 hectares of land and produces not less than 31.5 million boxes per year. Exporting the sought after Cavendish banana to Japan, Korea, China, Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand all the way to Russia.

Since 1971, Tagum Agricultural Development Company Inc. (TADECO) has been growing and producing quality bananas for leading brands in the market such as Del Monte, Dole, and Chiquita.

Fun Fact: Part of TADECO’s program is committed to employing inmates from the Davao Prison.

About me

Multimedia Artist/Blogger/Vlogger/CrossFit Athlete. Hey its me, Abi! Also known as "Abeast" because of my competitive and crazy personality. My special talents include binge watching, lifting weights, jumping off cliffs, swimming with the whale sharks, eating exotic nasty insects and having a huge appetite like a guy. One fun fact about me is that I'm the first full-time employee of Our Awesome Planet. I've been blogging for 4 years, and currently in the process of becoming a vlogger. My natural habitat is either at the CF box, a new resto, traveling or spending time with family.